hristian; and, unless he were so, a spirit like his would
scorn to be one of such a craven, contention-torn mob as that which Abu
Sofian brought to the field. Strange, is it not, that the little band of
Christians find themselves allied to a set of idolaters, against one who
would cast idols down?"

"Aye, but Mohammed would trample Christians and idolaters alike. Think
you that defeat was owing wholly to cowardice of the soldiers?"

"Not so much, perhaps, as to bad generalship of the leader," returned
Asru. "Nevertheless the superstition of the heathen Arabs, and their
fear when the cry of Mohammed's enchantment was raised, made a craven of
every one of them. Manasseh, had we had ten thousand Christian Jews,
there might have been a different story."

"We are nearly all Jews, here," said Manasseh, proudly. "Have you happy
forebodings for the issue of the next combat?"

Asru shook his head, gloomily. "There will be a brave resistance on the
part of our garrisons," he said, "although many of the men are well-nigh
as ignorant and superstitious as the heathen Arabs; but Mohammed's
forces have swelled wondrously since the 'enchanted' storm. Well, we can
but do our best. Now, I see that the council has assembled. They call
us. Come."

The two left the arbor and joined the others in the middle of the
garden. And there, while the stars shone peacefully above in the evening
sky, and the palm-trees waved, and a little bird twittered contentedly
over its nest in an olive bush, these men talked of measures of
fortification, of tactics of war, and schemes of blood-shed; a
conversation forced upon them, not as a matter of choice but of
necessity--the necessity of a desperate few, earthed by a relentless
conqueror and a ruthless despot, whose intolerance to all who denied his
claims has never been surpassed in earth's history.

CHAPTER XXIII.

MOHAMMED'S PILGRIMAGE.

"Five great enemies to peace inhabit with us, viz.: Avarice,
Ambition, Envy, Anger, and Pride."--_Petrarch._

In the meantime Yusuf and Amzi had taken up the old routine of life in
Mecca--the faithful doing of the daily round, the little deeds of
charity, the duties of business, the attendance at meetings in the
little church. Everything seemed to sink back into the old way, yet
there was not a man in the city but held himself in readiness to take
up arms were an attack made upon them to wrest from them their freedom.

And word came that Mohamme